Fractionating apparatus

Abstract

Fractionating apparatus especially designed for use in non-adiabatic distillation comprising two series of corrugated horizontally spaced sheets, each of the two series of sheets extending vertically, one series of such sheets being offset vertically from the other series, and forming a plurality of vertically disposed side channels on each side of the adjacent corrugated metal sheets. The side channels provide a tortuous vertical path for upward flow of vapor, and liquid descending from above is split at each offset horizontal fin of the corrugated sheets and mixed with the neighboring stream, thereby providing efficient mixing of the liquid phase as well as the gas phase, such horizontal fins also providing additional liquid holdup, as the descending liquid tends to puddle on the topside of the fins.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Fractionating apparatus especially adapted for non-adiabatic distillation comprising means designed for continuous separation and intermixing of the adjacent vapor streams and intermixing thereof with descending liquid and additional liquid holdup, sufficient to provide efficient non-adiabatic fractionation, including a unit having two series of corrugated sheets disposed in horizontal relation across said unit, each of said series of corrugated sheets extending vertically of said unit, the sheets of each said series of sheets being in substantially horizontal alignment, with each of said series of corrugated sheets offset vertically from the adjacent series of corrugated sheets, each corrugated sheet forming a plurality of vertically disposed fins, and forming a plurality of vertically disposed side channels between alternate offset corrugations of alternate corrugated sheets, said side channels providing a tortuous vertical path for upward flow and intimate mixing of vapor, and providing a descending path of flow of liquid from said fins on adjacent corrugations of adjacent corrugated sheets, through said side channels, and intimate mixing of the liquid phase, and intimate mixing of the vapor phase with the liquid phase, the fins on adjacent offset corrugations also providing liquid holdup of the descending liquid. 
     
     
       2. The fractionating apparatus of claim 1, each corrugated sheet forming a plurality of vertically disposed horizontal fins, and each corrugation of said sheets forming a pair of vertically disposed side channels between the adjacent upper and lower horizontal fins of said corrugation on opposite sides thereof, each of said pair of side channels separated by a horizontal fin of the adjacent offset corrugation. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1, said unit including a pair of parallel vertically disposed parting walls, said corrugated sheets being metal sheets, each of the corrugations of said two series of corrugated sheets being substantially rectangularly shaped, a pair of opposite parallel sides of said corrugations being connected to said parting walls. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1, said unit including a pair of parallel vertically disposed parting walls, said corrugated sheets being metal sheets, each of the corrugations of said two series of corrugated sheets being substantially triangularly shaped, the corners of said corrugations being connected to said parting walls. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1, said unit including a pair of parallel vertically disposed parting walls, said corrugated sheets being metal sheets, each of the corrugations of said two series of corrugated sheets being substantially trapezoidal in shape, the opposite parallel sides of said corrugations being connected to said parting walls. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corrugations of one series of corrugated sheets are vertically offset about half a corrugation from the corrugations of the adjacent alternate series of corrugated sheets. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 1, including a sparge tube positioned above said fractionating unit for distributing liquid downwardly across the top of each of said units. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 1, including a manifold positioned above said fractionating unit for distributing liquid across the top of said unit, and a series of triangular slots in said manifold for distributing liquid downwardly in heat exchange relation with said units. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 1, including an inlet at the lower end of said unit for introduction of a gas, an outlet at its upper end for removal of overhead vapors, a liquid outlet in the lower end of said unit and a liquid inlet to the upper end of said unit. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 1, said fractionating apparatus comprising a plurality of said units separated from each other by parting walls. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 1, said fractionating apparatus comprising a plurality of said units, each having parting walls, said units being disposed in spaced parallel relation, and including spacer means comprising a vertically disposed corrugated spacer sheet positioned in the spaces between parting walls of adjacent fractionating units, said corrugated spacer sheet attached to opposite parting walls of said adjacent spaced fractionating units, said spacer sheets extending across said apparatus between the walls thereof and providing a plurality of vertical fluid passages for a heat transfer fluid between adjacent fractionating units. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 11, including an inlet in the lower end of said apparatus for introduction of a gas, said gas inlet being connected to the lower end of each of said fractionating units, an outlet at the upper end of said fractionating apparatus for removal of overhead vapors, said outlet being connected to the upper ends of each of said fractionating units, a liquid inlet to the upper ends of each of said fractionating units, a liquid outlet from the lower ends of said fractionating units, a heat exchange fluid inlet to said fluid passages in said spacer sheets between adjacent fractionating units and a heat exchange fluid outlet from said last-mentioned passages. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 11, including a sparge tube positioned above each of said fractionating units for distributing liquid downwardly across the top of each of said units, said sparge tubes being connected to said liquid inlet. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 11, including a manifold for receiving liquid, positioned above each of said fractionating units and a series of triangular slots in each of said manifolds for distributing liquid downwardly in heat exchange relation with each of said units. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 14, each of said fractionating units including a parallel sheet between the parting walls thereof, and forming a heat exchange pass in each fractionating unit, and a slot in the upper end portion of said sheet for passage of overhead gas from said fractionating unit into said heat exchange pass. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 1, each corrugated sheet forming a plurality of vertically disposed horizontal fins, and each corrugation of said sheets forming a pair of vertically disposed side channels between the adjacent upper and lower horizontal fins of said corrugation on opposite sides thereof, each of said pair of side channels separated by a horizontal fin of the adjacent offset corrugation, each of the corrugations of said two series of corrugated sheets being substantially rectangularly shaped, and wherein the rectangular corrugations of one series of corrugated sheets are vertically offset about half a corrugation from the corrugations of the adjacent alternate series of corrugated sheets. 
     
     
       17. Fractionating apparatus especially adapted for non-adiabatic distillation comprising means designed for continuous separation and intermixing of the adjacent vapor streams and intermixing thereof with descending liquid and additional liquid holdup, sufficient to provide efficient non-adiabatic fractionation, including a plurality of fractionating units each having parting walls, each of said units having two series of corrugated metal sheets disposed in horizontal relation across said unit, each of said series of corrugated sheets extending vertically of said unit, the sheets of each said series of sheets being substantially in horizontal alignment, each of the corrugations of said two series of corrugated sheets being substantially rectangularly shaped with each of said series of corrugated sheets offset vertically about half a corrugation from the corrugations of the other adjacent alternate series of corrugated sheets, each corrugated sheet having a plurality of vertically disposed horizontal fins, and forming a pair of vertically disposed side channels between the upper and lower horizontal fins of said corrugation on opposite sides thereof, between alternate offset corrugations, each of said pair of side channels separated by a horizontal fin of the adjacent offset corrugation, said side channels providing a tortuous vertical path for upward flow and intimate mixing of vapor, and providing a descending path of flow of liquid from the horizontal fins on adjacent corrugations of adjacent corrugated sheets, through said side channels, and intimate mixing of the liquid phase, and intimate mixing of the vapor phase with the liquid phase, the horizontal fins on adjacent offset corrugations also providing liquid holdup of the descending liquid, as the descending liquid tends to puddle on the top side of said fins. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 17, including an inlet in the lower end of said apparatus for introduction of a gas, an outlet for removal of overhead vapors, said units being disposed in parallel spaced relation, and including spacer means comprising a vertically disposed corrugated metal spacer sheet positioned in the spaces between the side walls of adjacent fractionating units, said corrugated metal spacer sheets attached to opposite side walls of said adjacent spaced fractionating units, said spacer sheet extending across said apparatus between the walls thereof, and providing a plurality of vertical fluid passages for heat transfer fluid between adjacent fractionating units. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 18, said inlet being connected to the lower ends of each of said fractionating units and said outlet being connected to the upper ends of each of said fractionating units, and including a liquid inlet to the upper ends of each of said fractionating units, a liquid outlet from the lower ends of each of said fractionating units, a heat exchange fluid inlet to said passages between adjacent fractionating units, and a heat exchange fluid outlet from said last mentioned passages. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 19, including a sparge tube positioned above each of said fractionating units for distributing liquid downwardly across the top of each of said units, said sparge tubes being connected to said liquid inlet. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 18, each of said fractionating units including a parallel sheet between the parting walls thereof, and forming a heat exchange pass in each fractionating unit, and a slot in the upper end portion of said sheet for passage of overhead gas from said fractionating unit into said heat exchange pass, and including a manifold for receiving liquid, positioned above each of said fractionating units and a series of triangular slots in each of said manifolds for distributing liquid downwardly in heat exchange relation with each of said units.